Dining Room Attendant

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Work Tasks

DINING ROOM ATTENDANTS assist waiters, waitresses, and bartenders by cleaning tables, removing dirty dishes, and keeping service areas stocked with supplies. They replenish the supply of clean linens, dishes, silverware, and glasses in the dining room and keep the bar stocked with glasses, liquor, ice, and drink garnishes. They set tables with clean tablecloths, napkins, silverware, glasses, and dishes and serve iced water, rolls, and butter. Dining room attendants may help in serving food to customers during busy times.

Salary, Size & Growth

• $20,000 average per year ($9.50 per hour)
• A large occupation (390,900 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow slowly (0.6% per year)

Entry Requirements

Completion of high school is generally not required for DINING ROOM ATTENDANTS. Food and beverage service jobs, including dining room attendants, are one of the major sources of part-time employment for high school and college students. Usually, they have little or no work experience. Dining room attendants pick up their skills on the job by observing and working with more experienced workers. State laws often require that food and beverage service workers obtain health certificates showing that they are free of contagious diseases.